Under the Freedom Tree
In 1861, three men escaped slavery by rowing across a body of water and being received and protected by the Northern army. Soon more former slaves arrived, and they settled Slabtown, then created the Great Contraband Camp on the ashes of the town of Hampton which had been burned by Southern soldiers. A teacher arrived and taught former slaves in the shade of a large oak tree, the official first “classes” of Hampton University. The tree still grows and is called the Emancipation Oak.
This picture book contains full-page illustrations that reflect the mood of the story—sometimes dark and stormy, sometimes bright with hope. The story is told in gorgeous lyrical poetry meant to be read aloud, but which also makes the details of the story sometimes hard to follow. The historical notes at the end fill in the informational blanks. I enjoyed the poetry and pictures while wondering about the intended audience. It would work in a classroom, as part of a unit teaching the time period, or with a parent who can clarify what is happening to the people in the pictures.
